Straw collecting device



NOV. 12, 1940. PETERSON 2,221,719

STRAW COLLEC'TING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Shed 1 m w E Q firzizz'iy felvnswiz v INVENTOR.

BY 'I A TT 0RNEYS.

Nov. 12; 1940. I P N 2,221,719

STRAW COLLECTING DEVI CE Filed March 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 I I $5 jlrzrwg .Zefans'aiz INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 STRAW COLLECTING DEVICE Henning Peterson, Galva, Ill.

Application March 29,

3 Claims.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a collector, adapted to be drawn along behind a combine, to gather straw. The invention aims to improve the construction of the instrumentalities for collecting and receiving the straw, to provide novel means for operat-' ing and controlling those instrumentalities, and to improve the framework and the general structure of the device.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment 20 of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 shows, in side elevation, a machine con- 25 structed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a top plan;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 30 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation wherein parts are broken away, the view illustrating the means whereby the longitudinal tines are mounted for veritcal swinging movement.

85 In carrying out the invention, there is provided a sled S, including parallel runners I provided with metal shoes 2. Near to the forward ends of the runners I, the shoes 2 are provided with vertical anchorage strips 3, extended up- 40 wardly on the outer surfaces of the runners I,

and overlapped upon the upper edges of the runners, as shown at 4. A cross rod 5 extends through the runners I and through the anchorage strips 3. The cross rod 5 forms part of the structure 45 of the sled S, and it serves, also, as a place of pivotal mounting for longitudinal tines, which will be alluded to hereinafter. Links 6 are mounted on the cross rod 5, for vertical swinging movement, outwardly of the anchorage strips 3 on 50 the shoes 2. Outer nuts I are threaded on the cross rod 5, and hold the links 6 in place for vertical movement. Any suitable towing means may be provided. That means may be a line 8, attached at its ends to the links 5, and adapted to 55 be engaged intermediately by a coupler hook 9 1940, Serial No. 326,783

The numeral I2 designates a downwardly and 5- rearwardly curved attaching plate, disposed between the runners I. Vertical suspension straps I4 are secured at I5 to the rear surface of the attaching plate I2 and, extending about the cross rod 5, constitute means whereby the attaching In" plate is mounted on the cross rod for swinging movement. A binder I6 extends lengthwise of the attaching plate I2, near the lower edge thereof, and is held in place by securing elements II, the binder I 6 having offsets or seats I8, through which pass the forward portions of longitudinal tines I9 having upwardly extended forward ends 20, connected by securing elements 2| to the attaching plate I2.

The forward ends of the tines I9, and asso- 20 ciated parts, are received beneath a cover plate 22, provided at its forward end with a hook flange 23, engaged over the rod 5'. The cover plate 22 is removable, to permit the original mounting or the renewal of the tines I9 and thesuspen- 25 sion stops I4. As shown in Fig. 3, the cover 22 is cut away at its ends, as indicated at 24, to accommodate the inner nuts II on the cross rod 5. At its lower, rear edge, the cover 22 rests on the tines I9. The attaching plate I2 and the cover 22 can turn as one piece on the rod 5, and therefore the tines I9 are mounted for swinging movement, vertically, on the cross rod. The straw that accumulates on the tines I9 must be wiped rearwardly, off them, under conditions which will be explained hereinafter, and the vertical swinging movement whereof the tines I 9 are capable, enables them to move over the surface of the soil, the straw being dragged backwardly off the tines, by soil contact.

As an aid to keeping the runners I of the sled S in parallelism, the vertical posts 25 of a composite arch'26 are secured at 21 to the inner surfaces of the sled runners I. The posts 25 preferably are angle members, including outwardly extended flanges 28, shouldered at 29 on the upper edges of the runners I, in the interest of stability. The body portions of the posts 25 are turned outwardly at their upper ends, to form stops 30.

A gate 3| is located at the rear ends of the runners I, and has a rearwardly extended flange 32, through which pass upright teeth 33, secured at 34 to the gate. The gate 3| normally rests on the tines I9, as shown in Fig. 4. The depicted form 55 of the gate 3| may be changed, if desired in the interest of greater strength, such features making no contribution to the operation of the machine, considered as a whole.

Bell crank arms 35 are secured to the ends of the gate 3| and move vertically, outwardly of the runners l. The bell crank arms 35 are mounted on fulcrum elements 36, carried by brackets 31 attached to the runners.

Anchor hooks 38 are mounted in the vertical portions of the bell crank arms 35. The rear ends of pull springs 39 are connected to the hooks 3B, the forward portions of the springs being assembled with adjusting devices 40, which may be draw bolts mounted on brackets carried by the runners I. For the operationof the gate 3|, a flexible element 4| can be connected, at the will of an operator, to the upright part of either bell crank arm 35, the flexible element 4| being extended forwardly to a convenient place within the reach of an operator on the combine.

The operation of the device is simple. The straw passes from the delivery means ID of the combine, on the longitudinal tines l9. Here the straw accumulates and stacks up, being held against rearward movement, off the tines I9, by the gate 3| and the teeth 33 thereof. When sufficient straw has accumulated on the open, soilengaging bottom afforded by the tines IS, the gate 3| is raised, by means of the flexible element 4| and the corresponding bell crank arm 35. As the gate 3| is raised, the arms 35 slide upwardly along the flanges 28 of the posts 25 of the arch 26. Upward movement of the gate 3| is limited by contact between the arms 35 and the stops 30, as indicated in dotted line in Fig. 1. During the raising of the gate 3|, the pull springs 39 serve as an aid to the operator. The tines Hi can swing vertically on the cross rod 5 and follow the surface of the ground, and when the gate 3| is raised, the straw will be wiped lengthwise of the tines 19, by contact with the ground, and will be carried rearwardly out of the machine.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is simple in construction, but will be found thoroughly advantageous for the ends in view, and capable of withstanding hard use, without expert repair.

What is claimed is:

1. A straw collector comprising a sled having runners, an open, soil-engaging bottom for the sled, means for mounting the bottom at its forward end on the sled, for vertical swinging movement, a gate located near the rear end of the bottom, arms pivoted on the runners for vertical swinging movement, one arm being a bell crank, the bell crank comprising an upstanding part, the arms being connected to the gate, means connected to the upstanding part of the bell crank for actuating the bell crank and raising the gate, a reinforcing arch connecting the runners and constituting a guide wherewith the arms engage slidably, and spring means connected to the upstanding part of the bell crank and to the sled, for aiding in swinging the bell crank and raising the gate.

2. A straw collector comprising a sled including runners, a gate located at the rear of the sled, means for mounting the gate for raising and lowering, a cross member connecting the runners adjacent to their forward ends, an attaching plate, means for mounting the attaching plate on the cross member pivotally, a binder, securing devices attaching the binder to the plate, the binder having offset seats, tines extended backwardly to the gate and engaged in the seats, securing devices connecting the tines to the plate, in advance of the binder, and a cover shielding all of the securing devices, the cover having a hook-shaped flange engaged detachably over the cross member.

3. A straw collector comprising a sled having runners, an open, soil-engaging bottom for the sled, means for mounting the bottom at its forward end on the sled, for vertical swinging movement, a gate located near the rear end of the bottom, arms pivoted on the runners for vertical swinging movement, one arm being a bell crank, the bell crank comprising an upstanding part, the arms being connected to the gate, means connected to the upstanding part of the bell crank for actuating the bell crank and raising the gate, a reinforcing arch connecting the runners and constituting a guide wherewith the arms engage slidably, and spring means for aiding in swinging the bell crank and raising the gate.

HENNING PETERSON. 

